Feeding device for closure assembling machines



Oct. 5, 1943. 1.. E. SENSENDERFEQR 2,331,050

FEEDING DEVIGE FOR CLOSURE ASSEMBLING MACHINES Filed March 26', 1941 Lwi E. 52% by Patented Oct. 5, 1943 UNITED- STATES orr es Levi E. Sensenderfer, Lancaster," 1?a., assignor to Armstrong" Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania V Application March 26, 1941, Serial No. 385.225

4 Claims. (01. 198 16) This inventin relates to a feeding device'for feeding closure shells such as crown shells to an assembling machine. 7

The standard form of bottle crown cap feeder is disclosed inPatent 1,932,529, granted October 31, 1933, to Berthold Nagy. Such feeder comprises a hopper adapted to contain crown shells, double chutes extending therefrom adapted to receive the shells and to turn the shells placed therein in the same direction, and a common chute for receiving the shells from the first mentioned chutes and feeding them to an assembling machine. The first mentioned chutes are generally disposed on oppositesides of the machine and a connecting chute is providedhaving a chain conveyorforming thebottom thereof. The conveyor is adaptedto carry shells from one side of the machine to the other and to feed such shells to the common chute. w

I have found that the steady flow of shells to the closure assembling machine, when using the standard feeder, is frequently interrupted by shells from one of the double chutes jamming or hanging at the entrance to the common chute. Such jamming, of course, is caused by the simultaneous feeding of separate files, of shells into a common chute in single file. Jamming necessitates stoppageof the assembling machine until the jammed shells are removed, is highly undesirable, and occurs so frequently as to seriously interfere with the production of closures. I I

The chief object of my invention is to'provide a feeding device in which the deficiencies and disadvantages above discussed are obviated. An object of my invention is to provide a feeding device which feeds a steady flow of shells toan assembling machine. A further object is to provide a feeding device in which jamming of shells does not occur to interruptthe operation of the closure assembling machine. A still further object is to provide means in' the feeding device for disposing separate files of shells insingle file for feeding to an assembling machine.

This invention relates to a feeding device for feeding a plurality of crown shells to a closure assembling machine. The device includes a crown shell receptacle from which crown shells are fed to a downwardly extending chute which carries them to the assembling mechanism. Feed chutes are disposed on opposite sides of the receptacle and are connected by a cross chute. A'travcling continuous conveyor forms the bottom of the cross chute and receives separate files of crown shells from the feed chutes on an approximately horizontal or slightly inclined surface thereof and places and feeds the shells in single file to the downwardly extending chute.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention and is a view partly I of the cross chute IT and extends beneath the,

in elevation and partly in section of my feeding device.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a hop,- per 2 consisting of a rectangular containeror receptacle 3 having recesses'at the sides in which rotary drums 4 and 5 are mounted. The base of the receptacle 3 is formed in the shapepf an inverted, V so that crown shells placed therein will be fedtoward the drums 4 and 5. The drums 4 and 5 are mounted upon a shaft 6 which extends through the hopper 2'. Pulleys l and. 8 are mounted on the shaft 6 and are connected by a belt ,9 to any suitable source of power. It will be understoodthat-it is only necessary to drive'one of the pulleys and thateither may be driven. 1 A gear I0 is mounted at the end of one of the drums and preferably adjacent the pulley through which i the device is driven and the gear '10 meshes with a pinion gear ll on-a shaft 12 at one side of the drums sothat .the shaft may be rotated as the drums rotate. Openings are provided-in the.

drums'4 and 5 through which crown shells may be fed to feed chutes I3 andl L, In order topre-,

vent two of the shells jamming or sticking at the opening, toothed'disks I5 andlfi are provided on the shaft 23 and such disks serve to move one shell upwardly to permit the other shell to drop downwardly. Y

The chutes l3 and M, as described above are double chutes, .that is, each chute contains two passageways for the reception-0f shells. Suitable mechanism is provided at the chute opening to determine into which passageway the shells are to be directed. The passages of eachchute are chutes l 3 and M. A downwardly extending chute lfi is connected to and serves as an extension of the cross chute IT. The chute I8 is used,.pref,-'-

erably, to feed shells in single file to an assembling machine althoughit will be understood it i may feed the shells to any number of machines or to a hopper'or any other device. A traveling,

continuous chain conveyor! forms the. bottom double chutes l3;and M. The -chain I9 is mounted on sprockets 20 and 2| and is driven bymeans of a belt 22 secured t a pulley 23 mounted on the shaft l2. Such chain 19 is disposed beneath the double chutes I3 and I4 in such manner as to receive shells from such chutes on an approximately horizontal working surface thereof and this is particularly essential with regard to shells passing from chute l3. It will be understood the working surface of the conveyor may have a slight downward inclination if desired. The chain I9 is driven at a predetermined rate of speed, for example, approximately 450 lineal feet per minute, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. It will be observed the chain I9 is adapted to receive four separate files of shells and to dispose such shells in single file and to feed them into the chute I8.

It is essential in the operation of my device that the chain l9 receives shells from the chute l3 on an approximately horizontally disposed working surface thereof in order to obviate jamming or hanging of the shells at the entrance to the chute "3 which would interfere materially with the steady flow of the shells to the assem-- bling machine. The chain 19 need be driven at a rate of speed sufficiently great to agitate shells in the cross chute I I at the meeting point of shells from the chutes l3 and M, which point is indicated generally on the drawing at 24. The rapid movement of the chain l9, as stated above, agitates the shells and thus prevents jamming of the shells in the cross chute l1, while disposing the four separate files of shells in one file and feeding the single file of shells to the chute l8.

In the operation of my device, shells are deposited in the hopper 2 and are fed from the drums 4 and 5 to the chutes l3 and I4. Suitable mechanism is provided in the chutes l3 and M to determine into which of the passageways in each chute a given shell passes, depending, of course, on the direction in which the shell is facing. As the shells drop through the passages in the chutes l3 and I4 they are turned through an angle of 90 degrees so that at the bottom of the chutes all shells are turned in the same direction. The shells drop from the double chutes l3 and M on an 1 approximately horizontal or slightly downwardly inclined surface of the chain l9 which carries shells from chute I4 across the front of the machine to meet similar shells dropping from chute 53. The chain I 9 is traveling so rapidly that the separate files of shells at the meeting point 24 are agitated to a sufiicient extent to dispose them arranged in single file on the chain. 'Such agitation, of course, prevents jamming of shells in the cross chute H. The chain [9 then feeds shells disposed thereon in single file to the chute it which in turn feeds the shells to the assembling machine.

It will be observed my invention provides a feeding device in which it is diflicult or impossible for shells to hang or jam to interrupt the steady flow of shells to the assembling machine. Use of my device has materially increased production of crowns such increase averaging perhaps 40 gross per hour. The device provided by my invention is no more expensive than feeding devices heretofore used, while,- as pointed out above, it has materially increased the rate of production by obviating interruptions in the feeding of shells to the assembling apparatus.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood my invention is not so limited since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a closure feeding device, the combination of a hopper, chutes for feeding closures in a substantially vertical plane from said hopper, a traveling continuous conveyor having a working surface disposed in an approximately horizontal plane and extending from one of said chutes to a position beyond the exit end of the other chute in the direction of movement of said conveyor for conveying said closures while disposed in a vertical plane, a discharge chute in communication with said conveyor to receive closures from said feed chutes conveyed by said conveyor and means to drive the conveyor at a rate of speed sufiiciently great to agitate the shells at the meeting point of shells from the chutes thus obviating jamming-of closures on the conveyor.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a hopper, feed chutes extending downwardly from said hopper, said feed chutes being adapted to receive crown shells from said hopper, a cross chute connecting said feed chutes, a downwardly extending chute connected to and serving as an extension of said cross chute, a traveling continuous conveyor forming the bottom of said cross chute and extending beneath said feed chutes, said conveyor being adapted to receive separate files of crown shells from said feed chutes on an approximately horizontal surface thereof and to dispose and feed the shells in single file to said downwardly extending chute and means to drive the conveyor at a rate of speed sufiiciently great to agitate the shells at the meeting point of shells from the chutes thus obviating jamming of closures in the cross chute.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a hopper, double chutes extending downwardly from said hopper, said double chutes being adapted to receive crown shells from said hopper and to turn all of the shells in the same direction, a cross chute connecting said double chutes, a downwardly extending chute connected to and serving as an extension of said cross chute, a traveling continuous conveyor forming the bottom of said cross chute and extending beneath said double chutes, said conveyor being adapted to receive separate files of crown shells from said double chutes on an approximately horizontal surface thereof and to dispose and feed the shells in single file to said downwardly extending chute, and means to drive the conveyor at a rate of speed sufficiently great to agitate the shells at the meeting point of shells from the double chutes thus obviating jamming of the closures in the cross chute.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a hopper, double chutes disposed at opposite sides of the hopper and extending downwardly therefrom, said double chutes being adapted to receive crown shells from said hopper and to turn all of the shells in the same direction, a cross chute extending from one of said chutes beyond the second chute and connecting said chutes, a downwardly extending chute connected to and serving as an extension of said cross chute, a traveling continuous chain forming the bottom of said cross chute and extending beneath said double chutes, said conveyor being adapted to receive separate files of shells from said double chutes on an approximately horizontal surface thereof and to dispose and feed said shells in single file to said downwardly extending chute, and means for driving said chain at a predetermined rate of speed suificiently great to obviate jamming of the shells in the cross chute.

LEVI E. SENSENDERFER. 

